Come Monday...The Despicable Social Network

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

Last Saturday, I inched a little closer to getting caught-up with all that is happening by watching a couple of movies that came out last year (or maybe a year or two before). The first one was [The Social Network], which is about Facebook, which made me ashamed for having anything to do with it.

No, it is not so much that Facebook is so despicable. Although, there is much about it that I certainly despise. For the movie focused upon the founder, [Mark Zuckerberg], who makes [Dr. Sheldon Cooper] seem far less intolerable.

Okay, maybe that was a little harsh. For the Mark Zuckerberg in the movie makes Dr. Sheldon Cooper seem quite lovable.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, there has to be something seriously wrong with the boy, and I should know better than most that it is probably not his fault. For from what is depicted in The Social Network, which is supposed to be treating him more than fairly, he really doesn’t understand that it is wrong to screw your friends and steal ideas from others.

Perhaps not to anyone else, but I found it rather interesting that [Justin Timberlake], who is at the top on the left, looks more Mark Zuckerberg, who is in the middle, than [Jesse Eisenberg], who did play him in the movie and is at the bottom on the left.  Could it be that Timberlake didn't want his name associated with such a despicable character?

No, that can’t be it. For Timberlake played [Sean Parker], who is credited with being the founder of [Napster] in the movie, and the way Timberlake played him left little doubt that he fully understood every despicable move he was making.

Yeah, I am quite sure that a great amount of artistic license was being applied in The Social Network. On the other hand, I am also quite sure that quite a few on Wall Street were applauding the sheer audacity of Zuckerberg and Parker in the movie. For when it comes to business in a capitalist society, if you can’t keep your rear covered, you are asking for “it.”

 

Nope, there is nothing like flipping the script, and the second movie I watched last Saturday did just that. For [Despicable Me] had me feeling as good as The Social Network had me feeling bad.

If you haven’t seen it, [here] is a listing of the times it will be on HBO. Of course, if you have HBO, you probably have access to their [On Demand] service, and if have that, you can watch it anytime you like for as long it is available.

Hey, if you don’t mind spending a little dough, Despicable Me really would be available for viewing anytime you liked if you bought a copy. No, Amazon, nor anyone else, is paying me anything, but (LIGHTBULB!) (it’s in the movie) that is something for me to see about…

Link: [On YouTube]

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Come Monday...The Book of Eli

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

As it was with [Avatar], I was rather reluctant to watch [The Book of Eli]. Granted, it was for different reasons, but the result of my thought process was the same.

Denzel Washington is a mysterious drifter who holds the last hope for mankind—a Bible—in a desolate future.

You see, from descriptions of the movie like the one just given, which was taken from current listing on [HBO], I had it my head that the movie was about control over the last remaining Bible in a post-apocalyptic world, and I could see where that would be going. For I was raised to believe that our Heavenly Father’s Holy Bible is basically our main (if not the only) way to Him in this day and age. Moreover, it is also supposed to be our guide to living a better life in this world, which would make it a very powerful thing to possess in such desperate times.

Oh, but I was deceived. For the movie is really not about any of that.

No, I do not want to give away too much. For there may be some who have not seen it yet, and I do not want to spoil the ending for them.

Suffice to say, the ending absolutely blew me away, and if it did not have a profound effect on you, it is time to start asking more than rhetorical questions. For it is either that our Heavenly Father is not talking to you, or that you are not listening.

No, I do not mean to be condescending. Besides, most will think that I am quite mad before this is over—if not already.  For the calling of Denzel Washington’s character in the movie is quite similar to my own, and if you are not serious about wondering why you have not experienced anything like that yet, it is high time to do so.

Of course, if the thought (or something similar) crosses your mind that only a very foolish simpleton would be concerned about not hearing the voice of the Lord God Almighty ringing in their ears yet, and this does not chill you to the bone, it is time for great concern. For you just heard the witness of one the devil’s demons, which should serve as sufficient proof in and of itself that you are not alone in your thoughts, and yet, you still refuse to listen.

Speaking of such, I must admit to not wanting to hear what my favorite [BadGal] has been saying about [Sarah Palin and her Tea Partiers]. For she has been beating away on her early-warning drums for quite some time now, but I did not want to believe that our current political battles would eventually turn into bloodbaths.

Alas, I still have not been given any indication that things will get really bad anytime soon, but my head may not be completely out of the sand yet. In any event, please listen when our Heavenly Father assures you that it is all in His hands. On the other hand, if you want to believe that this world (not to mention our great nation) will last forever, you will be sorely disappointed.

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Come Monday...HBO's Boardwalk Empire

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about,  websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time.  Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.”  This is subject to change, however.  In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while.  For rants promote change, and change can be good—right?  Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

Well, it looks like [HBO] has done it again. For after watching the first two episodes of [Boardwalk Empire], it would appear that they have another smash hit on their network—right up there with [The Sopranos], [The Wire], and [True Blood].

Of course, some may take exception to calling The Wire a smash hit. For it never reached the heights of popularity as The Sopranos did, but in regards to being a very well made show, Boardwalk Empire is every bit as good as The Wire.

Okay, I suppose the same argument could be used against True Blood, but it has a fairly large and quite rabid fan base. Added to that are congregations groups of people, who consider the show a guilty pleasure that should be kept quiet about, I suspect.

To be rather frank about it, I didn’t think that the show would be all that when I first started seeing promos for the show. For it stars [Steve Buscemi], who is better known as a loveable loser in comedies like [The Wedding Singer] and the [Adam Sandler] remake of [Mr. Deeds].

Yes, he played [Tony Blundetto], who was a fairly hardcore gangster in a few episodes of The Sopranos, but that is a far cry from being a believable leader of a vicious crime syndicate. Oh my, was I ever wrong about that.

No, this is not a show for overly sensitive types. For it has scenes of graphic violence and sexuality. In fact, in just the first two episodes, they have shown full frontal nudity at least three times, along with a man getting his head blown off by a shotgun blast to the face and another man getting beat to death.

It is a period piece, after all, and the [Roaring Twenties] didn’t get that name by emulating the [Victorian Era]. Furthermore, the [Volstead Act] handed the criminally-minded a golden opportunity to enhance their revenues, which is what Boardwalk Empire is all about.

The show is set in [Atlantic City, NJ] at the very beginning of the [Prohibition Period], and from what I can tell, it is fairly accurate in what could have actually went on back then. For mixed in with the regular cast, it has dealings with the likes of [Al Capone], [Lucky Luciano], [Johnny Torrio], [Frankie Yale], [James Colosimo] and [Arnold Rothstein].

Making it even better is being real subtle about flavoring the script with little tidbits of historical significance, such as a passing remark about Luciano making over a million on the [1919 World Series]. Another thing that really impressed me was when [Jimmy Darmody] mentioned something about serving with the US Army during World War I to [Al Capone], Capone said that he was part of the [Lost Battalion], which is evidently something that he actually did often [lie] about.

With [Terrence Winter] as a principle writer and executive producer, it shouldn’t be any wonder that the show is so good. For he was the force behind The Sopranos, and where he might fall short, [Martin Scorsese], [Mark Wahlberg] and [Timothy Van Patten] would certainly pick up the slack.

As a side-note, I do find it rather interesting that Timothy Van Patten is such a good director of such hardcore scenes. For he is the half-brother of the [father of eight], but I may be the only one who finds this curious.

Oh, oh, oh, I can’t close without mentioning that [Omar] has a significant role in Boardwalk Empire. Now, [Chalky White] has only been in one scene for a few seconds so far, but I have no doubt that he will playing a bigger and bigger part in the whole scheme of things in the near future. For [Michael Kenneth Williams] has quite a presence about him—regardless of what role he is playing.

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Come Monday...If God Is Willing...

“Come Monday…” is a weekly series that will involve a review of, or commentary about, websites, movies, documentaries, television shows, sports, music, and whatever else may tickle my fancy at the time. Be assured that these reviews will be generally positive, as in accordance to the Jimmy Buffett song “Come Monday.” This is subject to change, however. In fact, I would be most derelict in my duties to neglect going on a rant every once in a while. For rants promote change, and change can be good—right? Therefore, since good is generally considered as being a positive force in 99.3% of the parallel universes that I am aware of, even a rant could be considered as being something positive, and a genuine hissy-fit would be even better (so I’m told).

My wife and I finished watching [If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don’t Rise] on [HBO] a few hours ago. It is [Spike Lee’s] follow-up piece to his [When The Levees Broke] about the devastation of the New Orleans area by [Hurricane Katrina] in 2005.

To be quite honest about it, Spike Lee can come across as just another mouthy punk at times, but after watching his documentaries, I cannot imagine how anyone could not come away absolutely impressed by his sense of candor and fairness. For he does a marvelous job of showing as many sides of an issue as possible, and If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don’t Rise is no exception to that rule.

Adding all the more to his latest effort to effect changes for the good of us all are segments about the [Haitian Earthquake disaster] and the [BP Gulf Oil Spill], which is impressive just in an organizational sense. For really good documentaries usually take years to produce while Mr. Lee’s production team was able to incorporate these additional segments in a matter of weeks—maybe even merely days.

Alas, if only our governmental agencies could be so flexible, and this was at the heart of it all. For example after example was shown of this one and that one sitting around and wanting to talk things over when action was critically needed long before.

Yes, ultra-conservative political types point to such things as proof of why much of our government should be dismantled, but what about those who are in desperate need? These are the ones whom the ultra-liberal political types point to whenever confronted with a conservative argument, but where have they been since Katrina hit? For that matter, where are they now with millions of gallons of oil just a-waitin’ to come ashore?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, much is being said. Fingers are being pointed, and blame is being attached anywhere it will stick.

What is that old saying? The more things appear to change, the more they remain the same? Yeah, something like that.

So, where do we go from here? For the same old “stuff” keeps being shoveled from one end of the barn to the other, but the smell remains as strong as ever.

I’m a-tellin’ you, if you aren’t at least somewhat physically ill by the time you finish watching If God Is Willing And Da Creek Don’t Rise, there is something really wrong with you. For just the scene of a dump truck full of dead bodies depositing its load in an open garbage pit outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti was enough to cause my wife and I to almost retch.

No, not all of the piece is so dark. In fact, we both let out loud cackles a number of times. One of our favorite scenes was a rant with different meanings to BP, and it could be argued that they started it. For BP is meant to stand for [British Petroleum], but in an effort to present a better image for marketing purposes, the company changed it to Beyond Petroleum. Be assured that we both liked what was in that rant better.

The piece actually starts off on a high note. For the first several minutes is dedicated to what a positive impact the [New Orleans Saints] winning [Super Bowl XLIV] had the area, and the piece is even ended with a celebration of the victory. I didn’t feel like celebrating all that much by then, however.

Yes, now would be a good time to try to throw some of the “stuff” I have been spreading here right back at me. For I haven’t been very subtle about pointing to the absolute truth of every matter truly being that our Heavenly Father is in full control of ALL that happens.

Some have preached that the New Orleans area has brought all of their miseries upon themselves with their heathen ways, and that God will continue to curse them until they turn from their wickedness. Be assured that I am not one of them. For the message that I have been given to proclaim is that every disaster is an opportunity to help those who are in need, and woe be it unto all who choose to ignore their plight.

No, I do not see things getting much better anytime soon. For the vast majority of the people we have in positions of power are only interested in staying in power, and the ones who want to replace them are not any better in any significant way that I have been shown.

Nonetheless, we are still without excuse. For the only way to truly help someone is to get as personally involved in their lives as possible, and this starts with individuals truly caring about individuals.

Yes, the government can get in the way of that, and there were several examples of this happening in the New Orleans area in the years after the hurricane hit. Therefore, it would be foolish to not be involved in the political process—even if only by voting, but if we don’t care about our fellowman, why should our Heavenly Father give us leaders who do?

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